Extreme grilling: Some folks take their barbeque very seriously

When you talk about the world of food grilling, there are those who roll out a black-domed grill for a weekend treat, and then there are people like Andrey Thorpe and Rick Stafford.

By Rick Allen, Katherine Brown and Dave SchlenkerStaff writers

When you talk about the world of food grilling, there are those who roll out a black-domed grill for a weekend treat, and then there are people like Andrey Thorpe and Rick Stafford.Thorpe, who considers himself "a pit master," is an advocate for patience, smoke, tradition and home-made grilling rigs. The flooring company owner from Ocala grew up watching his grandfather grill and smoke meat in a modified drum barrel. His process is a nod to his grandfather's style: Thorpe's base rig is a modified 1968, 150-gallon oil tank from his family's old Belleview farm. He calls his grill "Bertha."Grilling is his passion, he said — many of his Facebook photos are of, well, meat on the grill — and the grill is, therefore, in a constant state of evolution. "I've always been adding to it, adding more product," he said. The goal is to expand the capacity, serve more people while retaining the same quality and consistency in the food. He grills for family and friends, and he served his largest meal last year for a graduation party: He grilled and smoked 16 Boston butts, 68 pounds of chicken leg quarters and 25 pounds of sausage for 189 people.Meanwhile, practically any game is fair game for Rick Stafford's grill. "If it's clean, hey, I'm ready," he said. "If it crawls, yeah, I'll eat it.“People think because the way a creature looks it's unappetizing. It's a shame, too; armadillo, squirrels, who'd eat that? But the meat's very, very delicious. No, there's nothing I don't like to cook.”Stafford, an Anthony resident who owns a pest control business, is, by all measures, an extreme griller. He is one of a growing legion of backyard chefs who take barbecue to new levels. He takes grilling very seriously. So much so, his grilling has been showcased on televisions here and abroad.Born in Ocala and raised mostly in Wildwood before moving back to Marion County, Stafford has been grilling since childhood. “It's Southern tradition, something my mother and dad did,” he said. “I've always loved outdoor cooking; always liked grilling wild game, living on the land.”Moreover, he's not above showing off a bit: Last year he smoked an armadillo in its shell for Andrew Zimmern's “Bizarre Foods America” on the Travel Channel and cooked another one for Larry the Cable Guy's “Only in America” series on the History Channel.“Larry wouldn't eat any of it,” Stafford recalled. “He was afraid of it. He didn't like the raisins; said the raisins reminded him of little turds.”His loss.How the cooking method evolved into the competitive backyard sport it is today, with its grills and gadgets, is part of American history.Grilling and barbecuing, while not the same thing, use grills and smokers to cook food. While grilling is fairly straightforward, barbecuing is viewed as a complicated art form by enthusiasts. It varies in flavor, meats, and methods based on historical differences in the United States. The most accepted origin of the word barbecue comes from the Spanish, who, upon arriving in the Caribbean, used the term “barbacoa” to describe the native peoples' method of slow-cooking meat on a wooden platform. Stafford said his typical go-to seasonings include fresh garlic, fresh basil and fresh rosemary, but he'll throw in “whatever spice is lying around.” But he tends to go light on rubs; “just a little salt, maybe. Too much spice in the rub can take away the flavor of the meat.”And though he enjoys cooking the more, shall we say, “exotic” local game, his preferred meats are beef brisket and Boston butt — but they take time, as much as eight hours to properly cook “long and slow.” He uses smokers he made himself out of “old gas tanks. One's real pretty,” Stafford added, “but the one that does best looks like a piece of junk.”Most any cut of meat cuts it, he said, if it's cooked correctly.“Don't get in a rush, don't get your fire too hot,” Stafford advised. Make sure you “render down;” that is, make sure the fat is on top so it melts into the meat. “Cover it; you want to hold in the moisture. And don't over-season.“It takes patience,” he added, “patience and lots of smoke.”Grilling has become a major American pasttime. Eighty percent of American households own a grill or smoker, and 60 percent of grill owners use their grills year-round, according to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA). For Floridians, year-round use of backyard grills is second nature.Of the three most popular types of grills, gas grills were No. 1 in 2013, followed by charcoal and electric, according to the HPBA. “All three serve their own purposes,” said Briton Dumas, executive chef and part owner of Embers Wood Grill in Gainesville, which only cooks its food over a wood-fire grill. People are more likely to use gas-powered grills at home due to their convenience, Dumas said. But while gas is the most efficient, it leaves out some of the flavor associated with grilled foods, which is why some people continue to use the slower methods, he said. “Nobody wants to sit over the campfire all day,” he said. Today, Americans' love for grilling has evolved from cowboy campfires to incorporating outdoor kitchens complete with grills, ovens, refrigerator and other amenities, in the home. Luis Diaz, president of Dibros Design & Construction and director of development for Town of Tioga, said about half of his clients ask for some kind of outdoor cooking space ranging “from the most simple gas grill to all the bells and whistles.” Florida weather and the popularity of home-improvement TV shows has increased demand for this kind of feature in the home, said Diaz.“Especially if you have a pool, [an outdoor kitchen] is an added amenity that makes the pool even better,” he said. Outdoor kitchens these days can come equipped with pizza ovens, grills like the Big Green Egg, wine chillers, fire pits, ice makers and more. “I think people want to spend more quality time with their families in their backyard,” Diaz said. Outdoor kitchens do not come cheap, however, and can range in price based on how large or small the renovation. Diaz estimated most outdoor kitchen spaces cost anywhere from $6,000 to $20,000.For many experienced grillers, sticking with tried and true equipment and methods is the way to go. “I also make my own sauce,” said Thorpe. “I'm an old-school guy ... It's a vinegar-based mustard sauce,” he said.As for those who have been on the business end of Thorpe's grilled goods, well ...“Oh. My. Goodness. It was the best pork cheek ever,” Ocala's Stephanie Mosieur noted on Facebook. “His sauce is soooo delicious. Still trying to get his recipe. When I receive an invitation to his cookouts, I literally jump up and down for joy. I do the happy food dance.”Asked if he considers himself an “extreme griller,” Thorpe paused before he answered, as if resisting the temptation to bellow, “Well, duh!”“I am an extreme griller,” he answered, “because today — as we speak — I am looking at a bigger set-up. A second grill.”Will this replace that beloved, 150-gallon rig so deeply rooted in family tradition?“Oh, no,” he said of Bertha. “That's my baby.”